Disclaimer: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha belongs to Seven Arcs and all respective license holders. The Persona Series belongs to ATLUS. I only own this fic and nothing else. I also own all the mistakes too.


Chapter 27: Dawn of the Night Sky II

He was gone. That's the only thing Nanoha and Fate could understand. There wasn't anything left of him. Ren was just gone. Not a trace of his magic signature could be felt. Where it used to be, it was now empty.

"This can't be…" Morgana let out in a daze. "Ren…"

"Amy-san, what happened!?" Nanoha cried over comms, trying her best to do something, anything, but her panic and worry was taking over her.

"Just a second!" Amy replied as soon as she could. "I'm still getting his vital signs. He's alive." A wave of relief washed over everyone, but it only lasted so long before they regained themselves.

"But what's going on then, if he's still alive?" Fate asked, still keeping her attention on the silver haired woman as she stood back up from having done… whatever it was to Ren.

"It seems he's trapped within the Book of Darkness. I'm already working on finding a way to bring him back. Until then, you have to keep her contained!" Amy told them as she riffled through the Arthra's database for a solution.

"Now, they both will dream a never-ending dream, lost in perpetual slumber." The three that were still there hung on to the woman's every word as she spoke. Nanoha waited to hear her out, not realizing how her grip on her staff had become ever so tight. "Neither dead nor alive, they will be trapped in that dream, forever."

"Nothing is forever," Nanoha spoke her mind once the woman seemed to finish speaking. "That's because everyone changes. Whether they want to or not they need to change. That's the truth for everyone here, and even you." Nanoha pointed Raising Heart at the woman, not a single shred of doubt remained.

"Allow us to give you a demonstration…" Fate raised Bardiche as well. She would have done so even without the others but was glad that she didn't have to do so alone.

"I see…" A blue aura pulsed into the air under the woman's breath. When it reached Morgana, he became set ablaze in a similar azure flame, before reappearing as his metaverse self.

Taking the opportunity, he grabbed his slingshot and took aim. "Oh you will. We're taking Ren and Hayate back whether you like it or not." A strangely familiar smirk found itself on the silver haired woman's face, one that made the three of them think of their missing friend.

"Give it your best shot."

-0-0-27-0-0-

"Come on. It's just pool. There's nothing to be so nervous about," Akechi said with a bit of a laugh. Whatever intention lay behind such apparent, obvious mirth however only caused Ren to tense up.

"Don't rush me," the words seemed to come out of Ren by themselves. He wanted to pause at that strange feeling, but he felt his body moving without him, falling into place to line up a shot. In no time at all, he took aim and made his shot. The cue ball bounced off the edge of the table to hit another ball into the pocket. A simple bank shot, but a successful one all the same.

"Hmmm…" Ren heard Akechi intone, a hand on his chin. "Not a bad play at all. Though you still seem out of it. Shall we take a break? I need to go to the restroom anyways so if you'll excuse me."

"Go ahead," Ren replied, as he put his pool cue down.

"Thank you," Akechi said before walking off towards the back. Ren watched as he walked away, before deciding to take a seat nearby that looked out over the city. Looking out of the window, he tried to see if he recognized the location.

From the looks of it, it seemed to be some place in Tokyo… possibly Kichijoji given the trendy shops he could see. The bright lights under the night sky were a sight he missed from the big city. It's not like Uminari was lacking for such a sight, but it was only really Tokyo that felt just right. Had he been in Uminari? He hadn't been there in a while, at least he was… no he wasn't sure of it.

Something was wrong. He did not know for sure what was the problem, but he knew deep down something was wrong. Akechi being here was the only oddity he was sure of. He was supposed to be dead, killed by a cognitive puppet of himself in Shido's palace. And yet there they were, playing pool like it was something they were supposed to do. Strangest of all… it was starting to feel right; more and more as the seconds passed. Something from outside felt like it was nudging him to just accept it.

"I'm back. Feeling any better?" Akechi asked as he took the seat right next to Ren.

"Can't say…" Ren admitted. That feeling that things were wrong was still there. He had something he had to do. Was it part of something to do with the thieves? Or maybe it was something else? Akechi, well, he couldn't be trusted, but he was the only one here.

"Well if it's still bothering you, perhaps a change of venue is in order. To be honest, it wouldn't be any fun to beat someone when they're this distracted."

"Sure you aren't just afraid of losing when I'm not at my best?" Ren fired back, earning a small chuckle from the brunette.

"You wish. Anyways, how about that change in venue?" Akechi brought the conversation back.

"Well since you're so insistent, who am I to say no." Maybe the change in pace would help him figure out what was wrong.

"Great, it's just a small walk from here. I'll lead the way. You don't mind do you?" Ren could tell from the snide tone that Akechi meant for there to be something for to that, but he could only muster a shrug.

"Go right ahead." Akechi seemed a bit miffed at Ren's lack of retort but made nothing of it as the two made their way out and into the streets.

-0-0-27-0-0-

Hayate groaned. Something was… wrong. Something wasn't right. But what was it? She couldn't' help but let out another groan as tried to force her eyes open. However her eyes weighed heavy. It took her almost all the effort she could muster to pry them open, and even then they could only open just the tiniest bit, revealing only a small glimpse into the mysterious place she'd ended up in.

In front her, a woman with silver hair and red eyes seemed to stand over her. She stood there, silent, waiting, watching.

"There is no need for you to wake. Be at peace. Go back to sleep, and I will grant my masters their every wish. There's no need to fight, just as he too will discover. Just close your eyes, and slip back into sleep, back into a peaceful dream." The woman's voice was kind, and gentle, she seemed to look warmly at Hayate. She didn't know who this other person the woman was referring to, but for whatever reason she couldn't focus on it.

At the very least those were the few thoughts that Hayate had before her eyes became too heavy to keep open, and she slipped back into the darkness. Her willpower began to fail her, despite her wanting to stay awake. She had to wake up… She needed.. to… wake… up…

-0-0-27-0-0-

"Zaou-Gongen… God Hand…" At the woman's calling, another Persona rose from the ether, calling forth a mechanical fist that flew at Nanoha at erratic speed, with just as erratic flight. Despite this, Nanoha was able to conjure barrier in time and was able to catch the attack at the strange, oblique angle it attempted to strike her at. However the force of the strike was greater than she had expected. The fist was stopped for but a second before it slammed right through and launched the girl away.

"Kyaaaaaaa!" She was flung mercilessly away, going into a bit of a spin through the air. Before she could right herself, she saw the woman already in pursuit.

"Schwarze Wirkung…" Nanoha heard the Book of Darkness itself say, before a dark energy engulfed the woman's hand, and she threw her fist at the girl, making Nanoha brace herself for impact.

"Nanoha!" Before the attack could connect, Fate flew by, dragging Nanoha away at blinding speed.

"Fate!" Nanoha let out once she realized what was going on. "That form!" Nanoha noticed that Fate's barrier jacket had thinned, missing the cape as well as most of the armor, leaving only the body suit underneath. If she remembered right that was Fate's new Sonic Form.

"I know…" Fate grimaced. "But it was the only way to get enough speed to save you."

"But if you're hit even once then…"

"Then I just won't get hit. Lindy-san, Amy-san. We've moved the battlefield to the edge of the city at the waterfront. I don't know how much we can push it over the ocean. We'll leave the fire and damage in the city to you," Fate reported to the Arthra.

"We've already sent a disaster team down. They will be at the scene soon," Lindy responded, keeping an eye on the other team on a different monitor in the control room.

"That's good to know," Mona let out. He couldn't help much in the fight itself since he had no means of flight. Instead he provided aid from the docks through his support spells.

"Lindy-san," Nanoha spoke up over comms. "The woman of the Book of Darkness seems difficult, but I think she understands us. Please let us keep trying."

"The team is already repairing the damage to the city, and putting out the fires," one of the staff members reported, putting them at ease.

"You three don't… I mean, do your best out there." Lindy held herself off from telling them not to push themselves. With a friend on the line, she knew something like that would fall on deaf ears. She could only look on worryingly as she continued to observe the situation. However she readied herself in case the situation needed intervention. "And be careful."

Nanoha and Fate reloaded their devices as they nodded in response to Lindy's send off.

"How many more do you have?" Nanoha asked once the magazine clicked back into place.

"Just two left. And you?" Fate asked once hers had also been reloaded.

"Three… I don't know if it's enough to fire Starlight Breaker."

"There is a method. Call forth Exelion Mode," Raising Heart spoke suddenly, but its suggestion only caused Nanoha to worry.

"No way! You know we can't use that until your frame is strengthened. If we do try it and something were to go wrong, you could break, and I'm not going to let that happen."

"Call forth Exelion Mode…" Was the only thing it replied with. "Call forth Exelion Mode, my master…"

-0-0-27-0-0-

What… what did she wish for? What was the wish that she wanted granted? She said something… about a wish.

"For all the sadness in the real world to be banished forever in dreams," Hayate heard the woman say. "Now sleep in peace."

"That's… my wish?" Hayate was able to mutter in a soft whisper. No, that can't be right. That wasn't what she really wanted. That couldn't be it. What she really wanted was… It was… She had to remember. She needed to remember. What was it? "But it… it does sound nice. All of the happiness that I ever wanted…"

"A health body, a peaceful life with your loved ones. All you have to do sleep. Just fall back asleep, then you can live happily in that world for the rest of time. Just drift off to that warm, never-ending dream."

It sounded nice. It sounded so nice. A lovely place where she could be happy. She wanted it. She'd always hoped for it. Even so, she couldn't stop shaking her head. Not only to say no, but to also rouse herself. It was a lovely dream, a wonderful dream, a dream she'd always wanted… but

"I can't, because it's only a dream," She was finally able to say, her mind becoming clearer and clearer by the second.

-0-0-27-0-0-

"So how is it? It's nice isn't it?" Akechi asked, seemingly without any intention other than to pry Ren's opinion about the place. Looking around the jazz café, it certainly gave a somber, calming atmosphere. The dark lights, the stage set up, the singer, even the staff and drinks gave an adult feeling to the location. Helping to lend to that feeling were the other patrons who remained quiet and collected. He had to admit it wasn't bad at all.

"Yeah, seems like my kind of place," Ren answered truthfully.

"I'm glad you're so taken with it. Given the café you normally live in, I thought you might like it." The Café? Right Leblanc… he was staying there. No that wasn't it? "Still troubled?"

"Yeah… does... does any of this seem off to you?" Ren just came out and asked.

"How do you mean?" Akechi said, shifting his weight in his chair and bringing up one hand to his chin.

"Like… something's wrong. Like this isn't how it's supposed to be."

"Well how is it supposed to be then?"

"I… I don't know. It just feels wrong, but I can't place how." Ren racked his brain. Something was wrong. But what was it? Missing… that was part of it… something was missing… and something was also here that wasn't supposed to… Wait Akechi was… Ren refocused. How did he forget that so quickly? Was something messing with his head? That had to be the case. Akechi was the first thing that was wrong. How much could he trust him then?

"Did you think of something?" He did, but he didn't know how much he could say.

"Maybe…" Ren let out with a shrug.

"Now don't be coy. I know that look. You have something. You're just not sure whether or not to share it with the rest of the class." Ren sometimes really wanted to deck that smug look Akechi could get.

"…"

"Well?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Ren had to play this as a slow burn. He needed to be patient.

"Hmm? What do you mean by that?" Akechi let out a small chuckle, seemingly playing off the question.

"What's the last thing you remember?" He asked again. He needed to gauge what his relationship to this Akechi was. Was it hostile, or was it friendly? Honestly, Ren would have difficulty telling the difference with him, but he needed something of a hint. "Before today…" he decided to add.

"Well… I'm not sure what you want, but to answer your question… I took the time to study for college entrance exams. I might have a career as the second detective prince, but a good university education is still something that looks nice on the wall. Was that satisfactory?"

"Sure…" Not in the slightest, but it wasn't useless. Akechi was in third year then. It's like if he was still around after all that happened a year ago. Next question. He'd need to ask something harder, but without completely going in. "How is… Shido?" Ren watched Akechi's face carefully, trying to gleam what changes would happen.

"Still serving time. Just as he deserves." Akechi's face was… mostly calm, but there was a slight edge of vindictiveness in the voice. The calm left Ren a bit anxious, however.

"You look… over the whole thing?" Ren asked, trying to not set anything off.

"Oh I still wish the man were a bit less alive, and the judicial proceedings are going at a speed that make erosion look reasonably fast, but this will have to do I suppose. Besides, The Phantom Thieves don't take lives after all." That… that was a red flag. What did Akechi just say?

"You're acting like you're one of us," Ren pointed out. Akechi was never part of the group. At most he was just in as part of a temporary alliance, and he there was no way he could remember what happened at the theatre.

"Well… In a sense, it was a role I was forced into by happenstance," Akechi maintained his smile as he spoke, but something felt off about it to Ren. It looked… imposed upon him.

"Forced? I don't think anyone's stopping you from leaving." Haru and Futaba would probably love nothing more than to kick him out, and the others wouldn't be far behind. But that still bothered him. Who's doing the forcing?

"I can't say… but I should be able to tell you that I… certainly would like to be a bit freer in that regard." Again there was that look. He could see Akechi's eyes swimming about, but rather than from guilt or anything like that, it seemed more like Akechi trying to think of something. What was he trying to think about? He's being careful of his words, choosing. But why did he need to choose? Is it to limit the information that he might let slip out…?

"Is it?" Ren needed to ask one more question. "Akechi, what do you think of the group dynamic?" He asked for lack of a better name for the way the Thieves interacted.

"It's… fine…" There, Akechi's eyes were looking for something again. "I suppose that's how I'll have to describe it." That was not the answer Ren thought it would be. Akechi was more… abrasive towards the thieves' usual dynamic. Given their history, Ren wagered that the man would be more open and honest. Ren was now surer of it. Akechi wasn't looking for words to sugar coat his responses.

Just to be sure though… "You don't have to hold back." A slight twitch under the eye, just what Ren was hoping to see.

"What do you mean?" Akechi asked.

"Now you're the one being coy. But the question is why? No, I suppose I should have just started with this question from the start." Ren straightened himself, looking directly at Akechi. "How the hell are you still alive?" Akechi sat there, almost as if the question wasn't even asked in the first place. A second past, then another, then another. Finally though, Akechi's small smile morphed, widened.

Ren thought he heard something crack in the back of his mind, as if something holding him down had released him. However the sound had been faint, and he couldn't tell if it had even been real. On the other hand, Akechi's expression was more than real. If forced to describe it, Ren would probably call it, controlled contempt.

"Urgh, finally. I was wondering when you'd get to the point. That woman did a number on you with this dream world didn't she?" Akechi's voice turned low and guttural, his gaze more dismissive and annoyed. Now this was the Akechi that Ren had expected. "Thankfully though, with that question being asked, the dream seems to be weakening, or perhaps she is weakening elsewhere. Nonetheless an unrestrained vocabulary is something I won't take for granted again."

"Dream…" Was that what this was? A dream? Is that what the woman from the Book of Darkness put him in? Perhaps that was the cracking sound then, the weakening of the dream. "That makes some sense… You said you had an unrestrained vocabulary?"

"Yes, and to properly answer your previous question now that the proverbial shackles are gone: The last thing I remember was suddenly finding myself playing billiards, which I imagine is much the same as yourself. I wanted to say something sooner, but it was like a video game where my responses were limited to a small set of choices that all basically meant the exact same thing," Akechi groaned at the thought. The memory of it was enough to piss him off, his ire very visible to Ren.

"That sounds like hell…"

"Quite… Anyways, I've about had it with this farce of a world. However, this is your tailored dream, what do you think we should do?" Akechi asked, crossing his arms.

"My dream huh?" Ren looked down to see that his device still hung on his neck… No reason to not try right? "Let's go somewhere with fewer prying eyes."

"Well, we've already paid so, lead the way."

-0-0-27-0-0-

"The three of you should sleep as well…" The woman spoke. No malice could be found in her voice. It seemed to Nanoha that the woman believed that that really was the best course of action, but all Nanoha could do was shake her head.

"One day we will, but that day isn't today. Right now, we're here to save Ren, and Hayate-chan, and even you. All that sadness, those bad dreams, I promise you, there's a way past them. Everyone ready!?" Nanoha called out to Fate and Mona.

"Ready!"

"At your signal!" Fate and Mona replied.

"Raising Heart Exelion Mode! Engage Drive!"

"Ignition." Raising Heart's parts shifted about while rings of magic spiral around it. The head became longer before coming together to form a point as wing formations slid out from within to act as stabilizers. It was but a small change, but the woman noted how the energy inside the device seemed to have shifted somehow.

"Everyone, spread out!" At Nanoha's command, Mona and Fate spread out, the girl in the air, and Mona on the ground. Seeing this, the woman went over in her mind the best spell to deal with the situation.

"Hmm… Odin… Wild Thunder Genocide Shift…" A mighty god wielding a spear appeared by her side before it threw the spear at them, however it seemed to disappear before reaching them. Despite that, Nanoha could feel a tingling at her back followed by her noticing how the water below was beginning to float upwards, as were some of the things on the ground…

"You've got to be kidding me!" Nanoha heard Mona cry out, realizing that an attack was about to happen. At his word light erupted from behind her, a wall of lightning and thunder roared that engulfed an area almost as big as her house. Before that surge of god's wrath had ended, another crashed from the sky, then another, then another, then another. "Mrrow!"

"Hold on!" Fate grabbed the cat as the two then flew between each falling spear of lightning, but the margin remained thin due to each not only being massive in size, but also because of how every one of them continued to crackle and sizzle the air around it for moments at a time. "Nanoha!"

"Huh? Woah!" Nanoha had just caught the attack in time, flying back and out of the way while still putting up a barrier to prevent any of the lightning from reaching her. Even so, some of it managed to arc around her barrier, giving her a jolt or two that was barely contained by her barrier jacket.

"Nanoha!"

"I'm alright!" Nanoha replied to Fate as she cleared away from the attack. That seemed to be the last of it as no other bolts of lightning seemed to be threatening to fall. "How about you two?"

"I'll be fine," Fate answered back.

"I'm… I'm okay…" Mona breathed in and out slowly. "Dammit, this basically like fighting Joker," Mona complained. "She's got almost every trick up her sleeve that Joker can pull and then some thanks to her ability to morph his spells alongside her own."

"Is there anything we can do?" Fate asked as she kept an eye on their opponent. "Any weaknesses that we can use."

"I mean, kind of, but we wouldn't have the time to exploit them. She can change her weaknesses, strengths, abilities, on the fly. That's what made Joker so powerful was his ability to meet the demand of any situation with just the right tools or skills, and it seems she doesn't fall behind in the slightest. I… I just don't know what to do," Mona admitted. He'd never thought that he'd have to fight Joker, even if it were like this, so the thought of how to even approach the problem had never entered any of the thieves' minds.

"You should listen to him," the woman said. "The power granted to me has given me more strength than I have ever seen in all of history. You have no chance of victory. Nothing you do will work against me."

"Even if that's the case, then we're going to make it work!" Nanoha declared before turning to the other two. "Let's stick to the plan from before. I need you to give me time to set up Starlight Breaker. Do whatever you can to distract as I'm setting up."

"Right," Fate nodded in response.

"Not like we've got a better plan. Salvation!" Mona called forth Mercurius who bathed the three in a warm, healing light. "Let's get to it! Fate!"

"Got it! Leave it to us Nanoha."

"I will." At Nanoha's answer, Fate took hold of Mona as she took him into the sky. As for Nanoha, she took Raising Heart in hand as a magic circle formed beneath her, alongside more that formed around the staff itself. Nanoha could only pray for their safety as the flew to meet their opponent.

As they soared through the sky, Mona climbed up and onto Fate's shoulders. "Sorry about this…"

"It's fine. It'll be safer for you to stick with me instead. Your lack of flight is too much of a problem, so this is ultimately better. We're coming up on her…" Fate refocused now that the woman was coming back into range.

"Masukunda!" Mona casted at the woman, who continued to do nothing about the spell.

"Plasma Lancer!" Fate shot right after, sending multiple bolts of electricity at the woman as they circled around. However much to Fate's confusion, the woman did nothing as she met the bolts head on, explosions erupting as the made impact. "Did we get her?" Fate asked, unsure of what had happened, but still keeping her guard up. Her question was answered as a gust of wind blew out to disperse the smoke, revealing the woman as unharmed.

"Dammit that's right. That Persona completely blocks electricity… Fate do you happen to have any spells that aren't lightning based?" Mona asked as sweat started to drip down the side of his head.

"I… only have a few," Fate admitted, her brow furrowing as her mind raced to find anything that wasn't electricity based. Before she could find one however-

"Mokoi… Dekunda…" a strange whorl of magic flashed around the woman, doing something unknown to Fate. Right after the Book of Darkness flashed blue again. "Raphael… Heat Riser…" And then it flashed blue again. "Trumpeter… Debilitate..." And again. "Mot… Concentrate…"

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!" Mona panicked as three rancid orbs of orange, purple and green enclosed upon them and lights erupted where the woman stood. Fate tried to dodge them, but when that seemed impossible she braced herself, only to find that they didn't seem to harm her. "Fate, run away as fast as you can!" Because she didn't understand what was happening, Fate could only trust Mona's words, and so did as he said. Or more so, she tried. She found that for some reason her speed had dropped, even in her new Sonic Form.

"What's going on?" Fate wondered as she tried to push her speed, but she found herself unable to reach the speed she once had.

"Dammit! Masakunda! Masakunda!" Mona casted the spell twice in a panic as the two tried to escape. "Brace yourself!" Mona yelled as the woman, undeterred by his spells, pointed her hand towards them and the book flashed blue again.

"Sraosha… Makougaon…" Even though she pushed herself, she couldn't reach the speed she knew she could. Instead light filled Fate's vision, a light that shined like a rainbow as it fell unto her. She twisted herself, putting Mona beneath her, and placing a barrier above.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" The barrier was broken through, weaker than she thought it was supposed to be, and then smashing right into her body, sending her careening into the water. Her vision turned from light to dark before it suddenly became harder to breath. Air… she needed air… dark… darker…

"Fate! Wake up!" She felt her head being pulled up into air. "Wake up!" Was that Mona? Were they in the ocean?

Fate's eyes snapped wide open as she realized that she and Mona were now in the water. Shaking her head a bit just to get rid of the last vestiges of darkness, she looked back up into the sky to see the woman, preparing to attack again, the same Personas appeared as before in the same order.

"Urgh…" Fate tried to move, but when she did so, a pain shot right through her body. That was the issue with Sonic Form, it provided immense speed, but at the cost of defense. That didn't explain why her barrier had become so weak, but even so, the previous attack had basically left her near dead. She kept trying to put power into her body, but it was proving no use.

"Hold on, I'll heal you!" But it was too late. Mona wasn't going to make it in time as the woman summoned forth the last one again.

"Sraosha… Makougaon…" There was nothing they could do.

"Fate! Mona!" Nanoha's cries went on deaf ears. She wanted to help, but not only was she too far away, but she still needed to prep Starlight Breaker. If she didn't then all would be lost, however conversely if she did nothing to help, then…

Once more light filled Fate's vision, she wondered if the doves were a hallucination of some sort as they flew down with the magic as it fell from the sky. Mona covered the girl's face, perhaps as a means of shielding her, but Fate could still see the attack coming from above. She hadn't given up, but what could she do?

"Cendrillon!" A blue figure that appeared to be made out of glass, rushed out before Fate and Mona, negating the surge of light magic without any effort. Fate's eyes glistened from the sight. The strange figure looked so beautiful, so ethereal, as if out of a children's story. "Are you alright?" Fate heard from behind them. Standing on the dock was… she looked familiar.

"Yoshizawa!" Mona cried out the girl's name. That… Fate remembered her. They met at the cellphone store some time ago. But that outfit, it reminded her of Joker. Was she also a Phantom Thief? It seemed like it, but then why wasn't she with the others back then?

"Diarahan!" The blue figure turned around, flinging a soft light at Fate. Upon reaching her, the girl felt her strength return. It was enough for her to fly out of the water and onto the dock where Mona jumped down.

"What are you doing here Yoshizawa?" Mona asked, but Yoshizawa simply pointed back behind them.

"I'd tell you, but I don't think we have the time for it." Fate and Mona looked back to see that the woman staring at them. "Where's senpai?" Yoshizawa asked as she looked around.

"Captured by her," Fate told her as she readied herself to go in again.

"The plan is to distract her long enough to give Nanoha enough time so she can free him, and another person trapped inside," Mona further explained. "Speaking of… Nanoha, how's it going on your end?"

"I'm almost ready… I only need a little bit more!" Nanoha reported to them.

"Got it! Okay, new plan," Mona started. "She might be able to switch Personas, and thus her weaknesses, but she can't block everything all at once. If we hit her with different attacks at the same time, we might be able to crack her defenses.. Everyone got it?" Mona asked, as he watched the woman cast her support spells again.

"Got it!" Fate answered back.

"Uh, sure?" Yoshizawa understandably replied in a not as confident voice.

"That will have to do, just follow our lead Yoshizawa." Mona would just have to work with that. "Everyone, let's do this!"

-0-0-27-0-0-

"…none of this… I didn't wish for any of this. So you shouldn't do any of this. Isn't that how it works?" Hayate asked, sitting up as straight and tall as she could to look at the woman with silver hair in her vision.

"… My heart is linked closely to that of the Guardian Knights. I've never seen them adore their masters so. By extension, for the first time, I adore my masters as well. However, I also hate myself, for I know that the blood of my masters will be shed by my hand…"

"What do you mean?" Hayate sat aback, not sure what the woman meant.

"There's a power within me that cannot be controlled. It forces me to eat away at my masters bit by bit, regardless of my own will. I'm sorry…" The woman could only give Hayate a sullen, apologetic expression.

Hayate sat there, looking at the woman before her. There were so many things she wanted to say, that she wanted to ask. Hayate finally felt like things were beginning to make sense… However she had to hold it back. There was something more important she had to do.

"When… when I woke up just now. I realized… just a bit of what's been happening to me. The parts of my life that I can't control, the parts I can't escape… It's somewhat like what Signum, Vita, Shamal, and Arf are going through. I know what's it like to feel like you're completely alone… that's what you're feeling right?"

The woman's eyes widened, surprised by her master's insight. She'd underestimated Hayate, and in her surprise, could only offer a small nod in affirmation. However her nod soon shifted into surprise as she saw the girl reach for, despite being wheelchair bound.

"But you can't forget… I'm your master now. You're not alone anymore… and it also means that you have to listen to me and do whatever I say." A triangular magic formation sprang forth beneath the two, bringing light to the otherwise dark world. The woman's continued surprise was snuffed only by the compulsion to kneel before Hayate, so that the girl wouldn't overexert herself reaching for the woman's face.

"You… don't have a name right? Then I'm going to give you a name, a real name. I'm not going to let them call you the Book of Darkness or the Cursed Book any longer. Those aren't who you are, not anymore. I mean, as the master, it's obvious I can do something like that, right?" Hayate gave a small girlish giggle. For some reason it was pleasing to the ears for the woman, but the only response she could give was a solemn rebuttal.

"It's impossible… the automatic defense program won't stop for anything. The bureau mage and her allies are fighting, but it's pointless." The woman's voice had becoming guttural, clogged from tears that ran down her cheek, pooling in Hayate's hands before slipping past.

"It's alright. It's going to be okay…" The light beneath them began to shine brighter and brighter in the darkness.

-0-0-27-0-0-

"Garudyne!"

"Kougaon!"

"Arc Saber!"

Spells flew at the woman with silver hair. She threw up a barrier to block the arrows of light that came straight at her. By contrast, she did nothing as the wind around her stirred into a flurry. Neither did she move when the crescent of lightning struck her, letting Ishtar absorb the blows. However the debris that was swept up in the wind and the flashes of light from both the arrows and lightning obscured her vision.

"Tempest Slash!"

"Miracle Punch!" Her barrier was still up to catch the attacks, but the force of them caused her to fly back, landing near the edge of the dock. She wasn't any worse for wear, but she was lacking in an opportunity to retaliate.

"Kougaon!" The woman called Yoshizawa sent another barrage of blessed arrows. The silver haired woman could switch to nullify the strike, but then she'd leave herself open to the other two. She summoned another barrier to catch the attack once more, watching to see when the other two would make their moves, except.

"Huh?" was all she let out as chains suddenly grabbed onto her. "Sealing spells?" She realized as she struggled against them. As she did so, she was flung by the chains into the air for some reason she couldn't pin why.

"Sorry we're late!"

"Took us a bit to get here!" Mona, Yoshizawa, and Fate all heard from above. Looking up they saw a familiar duo.

"Arf!" Fate called her familiar's name with relief.

"Yuuno!" Nanoha chimed in over comms.

"Nanoha, how much time do you need left?" Yuuno asked, not having time to return her pleasantries.

"H-huh! I mean, I'm just about ready!" Nanoha answered back.

"Then go ahead and fire at will, while we've still got her chained up! Everyone else, clear the area!" Yuuno ordered the rest of them.

"Uh… should we…"

"Yes, just follow our lead Yoshizawa," Mona answered the girl, who only nodded.

"Come on, let's get out of here!" Fate told the two of them, before flying ahead further into the city to escape the projected blast zone. Before Yoshizawa could say anything, Mona hoped into the air and suddenly transformed into a bus.

"Just get on!" Yoshizawa kept her questions and did as she was told, before the Bus the zipped away to follow the blonde girl that left earlier.

"What are you…" The woman with silver hair muttered, ignoring the escapees to instead focus on the brunette in front of her. As the woman struggled to speak, Nanoha's staff sharpened before projecting magic out to an even sharper point at the end of the staff.

Without a word, Nanoha flew towards the woman at high speed, her staff pointed right at the woman. Even bound the woman did her best to project another barrier, stopping the attack in its tracks, at first. Nanoha continued to put everything she had into her strike, sending magic both into her attack and her flight spell to keep pushing her forward. A grinding sound pierced the air as the magically created point began to penetrate the barrier bit by bit.

"It can't…" The woman's eyes widened before narrowing as spent cartridges were ejected from the head of the staff, charging Raising Heart beyond its normal limits. Wings of pink light erupted out as the head of the staff began to glow ever brighter. This was it. This was her chance.

"Starlight Breaker! Shoooooot!"

"Impossible! It can't-" whatever the woman was about to say was drowned out as the pink light engulfed the two of them, completely blinding the woman to the point she couldn't even see herself. Its deafening sound and the turbulent she'd been sent on from the force of the blast disoriented her, sending her thoughts into disarray and confusion. But it was all just a minor inconvenience. It only lasted for a few seconds as the light died down, and the woman was able to right herself as the force too began to evaporate. The smoke however still lingered.

"Did… did that work?" Fate asked as she flew up to support Nanoha who held her shoulder that throbbed with pain. Nanoha winced when Fate placed a hand on said shoulder.

"N-no… I barely cracked her barrier. Even at point blank range with the Exelion… It-"

"You're kidding!" The two heard Mona shout over comms, prompting the two look up to see the woman only slightly scuffed up from the preceding attack.

"She's scratched up, but only that." Yuuno kept himself from cursing, but just barely.

"All that for just a few scratches? What the hell is he made of?" Arf growled out in frustration.

"Wasn't that supposed to be our best shot?" Yoshizawa chimed in to ask, traces of trembling between labored breaths present in her voice. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"I- I don't…" Before Nanoha could say anything, she saw the silver haired woman's arms move. Except… something seemed wrong. The arms were moving as if, struggling against something. It was unnatural, like a machine creaking into place unwillingly.

"People of the Bureau, can you hear me?" Everyone's expressions, save for Yoshizawa's, lit up upon hearing the voice. "Um, I'm Hayate Yagami, the owner of the silver haired girl out there."

"Hayate-chan!" Nanoha shouted when it was clear that it was indeed Hayate's voice.

"Nanoha-chan? Is that you?"

"Yes, and Fate-chan's here as well," Nanoha answered.

"A lot's happened and we're right now in the middle of fighting with this woman," Fate followed as she noted the woman was continuing to struggle against whatever was happening.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble you two. Do you think you all can stop her?"

"What do you mean?" Fate asked for the rest of the team.

"I've cut off the control of the automatic defense system from the main book, but I can't access my owner's rights as long as it's still fighting," Hayate explained. With it however, Yuuno's eyes lit up.

"That's it!" Yuuno interjected, his voice confident and sure. "If the owner's woken up even after the completion of the book… Never mind the details! Everyone, while Hayate-chan's got it under control, blast it with everything you've got. That should be enough to free Hayate-chan and Ren from inside."

"That sounds easy enough!"

"Are you sure?" Fate asked, not as confident as Nanoha was in the idea.

"Absolutely! Hayate-chan probably doesn't have much time left. Arf and I will continue to support. Everyone else, don't hold back!" Yuuno told them, pointing to the still restrained silver haired woman.

"Yoshizawa, you heard 'em, let's go!" Mona told her, as he stood on her shoulder to strike.

"Right! Kougaon!" Yoshizawa was first to fire.

"Garudyne!"

"Thunder Rage!"

"Raising Heart! Divine Buster!"

-0-0-27-0-0-

"You heard all that right?" Akechi asked, looking up at the sky that had gone dark; cracks in reality itself now loomed overhead. They grew ever larger by the moment, light seeping in more and more.

"I think that's our cue."

"So what is it that you have in mind that you needed to bring us to your old school?" Just as Akechi had said, Ren had brought the two of them to the roof of Shujin Academy. It would serve for both privacy and space. "I hope you didn't ask us to come here just to get a better view."

"Just watch…" Ren grabbed hold of the device strung around his neck, sending his command telepathically. Not a second later, his vision flashed azure, blinding him for that one moment. When his sight returned, he found himself in his Phantom Thief attire.

"Well this certainly is unexpected…" Joker turned to see Crow looking over himself, only the tiniest bit surprised by the sudden transformation. The young man now sported a black ensemble, spiraled in pattern of black on dark blue. Black studded belts, clawed gauntlets, and a short black cape, gave him a much different silhouette to Joker despite the similar color scheme. Most prominently among those differences was the mask, which was similar to a Knight's helm, but with a sharp beak that protruded from his face.

"You've learned a trick or two I see. So are you ready to end this farce? What are you looking at me like that for?" Crow's expression twisted into one of disgust.

"Nothing…" Joker looked away. However his thoughts still stirred on the subject he tried to keep to himself. He… he'll just have to avoid thinking about it.

"Whatever keeps you focused. We don't have time for any distractions if we want to get out of here," Crow shrugged. "Let's get this done in one shot. Loki!" At his command a Persona emerged sporting a chaotic assortment of black and white stripes all over its body, including the horns on its head. In its hand, already poised to strike, was a blade that glowed an ominous red. "What are you waiting for? Do it!"

"Right…" Joker shook himself into focus, looking up at their target. "Arsène…" he whispered to himself, summoning the Persona into reality. However he didn't give any further commands. Instead he grabbed hold of one of the chains that normally flew about whenever he summoned his Personas. "Let's go!" With a single swing, Joker threw the chain forward. It was more will than force, but even so, the chain snapped.

-0-0-27-0-0-

"As Master of the Night Sky, I grant you a new name as someone who supports and helps others. You are no longer cursed. You are a gentle breeze of good luck, a shout full of blessings. It's nice to meet you, Reinforce." Hayate's words were small and gentle, but even so, they echoed in the empty darkness, ringing loud and clear.

The silver haired woman, Reinforce, felt something within her begin to stir, becoming lighter. She no longer felt strangled by the wretched curse that had taken its hold of her so long ago. A rumble coursed through the world that surrounded them before it then became bathed in light.

"New name Reinforce, Recognized. Owner's rights are accessible once more."The newly christened Reinforce's voice rang through Hayate's mind, power following right after. She could feel it: control. She had control now. Her steps felt light… her feet! She could feel them again… She was standing! Her delight only lasted for so long however.

"Warning, the Defense Program is now out of control. The power has now become freed and will no longer be supervised. Its restrictions will soon be completely lifted," Reinforce reminded Hayate. Despite the implied severity of the statement, Hayate didn't feel the least bit worried.

"Well then we'll just have to stop it, don't we?" Before Hayate, the tome reappeared. "Reinforce?" she asked, hugging the tome close to heart.

"Yes, master…"

"Now then, it's time that I exercise the owner's rights," Hayate commanded, lights beginning to form at her side. Each light blinked into existence, as if being reformed by smaller little lights.

"I've done my best to interfere with Defense Program's progression. It will delay it from going out of control for only a few minutes," Reinforce informed her master.

"That should be enough time," Hayate said as the last of the four lights manifested itself around her. "Now, return their linker cores, and fix the damage done to the Knight Protection System." Each of the lights flashed for a moment. She felt life begin to breath from those small lights, and a smile found itself upon her when she heard voices echo from them.

"We are the protectorate who gather under the Masters of the Night Sky."

"As long as our master exists in this life, our spirits will never fade."

"We are with you, always, so long as you draw breath."

"We are all humble servants of Hayate Yagami, the lord and sovereign of the Night Sky." She didn't need to see them, to know whose voices they were. Signum, Shamal, Zafira, and Vita, their oaths warmed Hayate's heart.

"Confirmed, repair of the Knight Protection System completed." Each of the lights faded, being sent ahead of her now that they had been restored. Hayate gathered herself. She needed to prepare to follow.

"Now, give to me my armor and my weapon," she commanded, no weakness could be found in her voice.

"Yes master." At Hayate's command, her clothes were replaced by a barrier jacket, and a staff appeared that she took in hand without hesitation. Now then…

"Oh light of the night sky, gather here upon me, oh blessings of Reinforce, Set up!" Her staff glowed, sending out streaks of both light and darkness, each flew to different parts of Hayate's Barrier jacket, adding more armor and decoration upon it. The last streak of light struck her head, coloring her hair a platinum blonde, and adorning her with a white beret. At her back, six black wings protruded from her white jacket.

"Alright, Reinforce, shall we get going?" She looked around, eyeing an exit, only to see-

…Oh looks like she had to catch up to him. She wasn't the least bit surprised to see him already ahead of her.

-0-0-27-0-0-

A giant mass of black magic carved its existence into the ocean. Tendrils of magic sprung from it, whipping about in a violent frenzy that threatened any that dared draw near. Nanoha and the others looked on, unsure of what had happened.

"Reporting: The Master of the Book of Darkness has completely separated from the Defense Program. That magic surge that's surrounding it is dangerous, so don't get too close to it," Amy stated over comms. "Until Chrono returns with the Durandal from escorting the Admiral and the twins, you'll need to wait."

"But then what the heck is that?" Mona asked, pointing to a white sphere that appeared overhead nearby.

"Amy, analysis!" Lindy commanded.

"Huh? When did that- It just suddenly appeared, it's giving off a similar signature as the-" Amy's analysis didn't get much farther as the white sphere then cracked wide open just as suddenly as it had appeared, revealing those that had been hidden inside.

"Is that?" Yoshizawa asked with her mouth agape as she saw them.

"It is!" Mona practically jumped.

"Is that… that looks like… Hayate-chan! Joker!" Nanoha and Fate both shouted at the same time. Even though the girl's look had changed, the two still could recognize her.

"Hey everyone!" Hayate waved to the group.

"Hope we didn't keep you waiting too long," Joker let out with a light chuckle.

From out of the white sphere, seven figures stood above in the sky over a pure white triangular magic formation. Signum, Shamal, Vita, and Zafira stood in formation. The four of them stood tall and proud. Hayate herself, now garbed in a barrier jacket stood right in the middle, and next to her was Joker who looked none the worse for wear and… who was that? There was someone they didn't recognize standing there as well. He seemed to be wearing something like a dark barrier jacket but…

"No… how? It can't be…" Mona was the first, and only one to react among the group. "Crow!?" Everyone, including Hayate and the Knights, turned to look at the unexpected addition. The only one non-plussed about him seemed to be Joker.

"Who?" Fate asked. "Was there someone else absorbed by the book while we weren't looking?"

"Step away from Hayate and Joker," Signum pointed her blade at Crow, who only spared her the slightest, bored glance. "Mona, you seemed to know this miscreant?" Signum asked the feline.

"He's… well, he's not exactly a friend… or an enemy… I-I don't know! He kind of helped?" Mona found himself tongue tied to try and explain who this was. "But more importantly, he's supposed to be dead! We were there we he died, so how is he alive?"

"Wait… dead? Is this… Is he?" Nanoha's mind raced for names. The situation sounded familiar. Joker talked about it once, but only once. She'd wanted to bring it up once more, but never found the right time to do so… what was that name… It was… It was- "Goro Akechi?"

"Wait, Joker's lost friend?" Fate added, just realizing the same when Nanoha finally placed the name.

"Akechi? But I thought he disappeared a year ago!" Yoshizawa piped up, causing Mona a bit of surprise.

"Wait, how do you know him?" Mona asked, but before he was able to get an answer, Hayate spoke up.

"I don't believe we have the time for that right now," Hayate cut through the clamor as she turned towards Crow, who stood there, still looking done with all the nonsense that had just transpired. "Reinforce?"

"It seems to be some manner of cognition mixed with something else, continuing to manifest out of the dream world as a result of the usage of Meta Barrier." While somewhat useful, no one was able to comprehend Reinforce's explanation save for maybe Joker, and only part of it for Mona.

"Um… okay. Regardless, are you here to help us… Crow?" Hayate asked, the Knights still maintaining their guard, while Joker stood by the mysterious (to them) man.

"Well I certainly would have issue if that thing there continues to go out of control. So I suppose I am." Hayate scowled… was that… was he being genuine? Or was he actually being snide? Something in between, but she didn't like it that much she knew. This person… Crow… he seemed like every word was trying to hide something, if it wasn't also dripping with agitation, annoyance.

"He's on our side, just don't let how speaks get to you," Joker vouched for him before turning towards the giant black sphere of magic. "What's the plan? Any idea of how to get rid of that thing? What is it anyways?"

"It is the Automated Defense Program unleashed and severed. Without a master, it is only a mass of destructive magic," Reinforce answered him. Joker didn't expect that. Though of course he wasn't sure what to expect in the first place. He let it go as he saw all the others arrive.

"Yoshizawa?" Joker noted. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to help. I mean, it was hard not to, given what's happened to the whole city…" Yoshizawa's argument was sound. She wasn't the kind of person to let things go like that if she could help it.

"If we can get back on topic, I don't think we've gotten an answer yet as to how we get rid of the damn thing," Crow chimed in, reminding everyone of the danger at large.

"Well, as far as I can tell there are two solutions."

"Chrono, you're here," Fate was the first to spot the arrival of the TSAB Officer who descended to meet them. Despite the respect he commanded from the rest of the group, one of them still let out a sigh.

"Is this a daycare? How many more brats are we going to have to baby sit?" Crow pinched the bridge of his mask, seeing as his nose wasn't directly available.

"Ignore him," Joker stepped in before Chrono could respond. "What've you got?"

Chrono took a deep breath to calm himself from Crow's prodding before continuing. "Unfortunately, our only options are what most would consider last resort solutions." Chrono's admittance to such caused everyone to stiffen in some capacity.

"That bad, huh?" Mona could feel the sweat already starting to fall off the side of his head if it wasn't already.

"Yes… the situation is truly that dire," Chrono answered without adornment. "Anyways, the first of these solutions is to utilize the Durandal's unique freezing spell to entrap it. The second is to use the Arthra's newly equipped Arc En Ciel. Of course if there is a better way to do so, please feel free to speak up."

"Um, Well I…" Shamal raised her hand to speak. "I think that the first plan would not be a sufficient enough solution."

"Without its connection to the rest of the Tome, it's basically just a giant mass of ever-growing magic," Zafira added.

"Even frozen, it will continue to grow so long as its core is intact," Signum was last to explain. "Freezing it will only buy time, and not much of it at this point."

"Well we can't use the Arc En Ciel either!" Vita butted in, crossing her arms to form an X. "Everyone's houses will be completely obliterated if you do that!"

"It's that strong?" Nanoha asked, not sure just what the Arc En Ciel even was.

"Well," Yuuno jumped into explain. "It would distort dimensional space within a one-hundred-kilometer radius from its center, causing reactive extinction as it expands. As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't make sense to use it in a heavily populated area like as this."

"I'd rather not be reduced to atoms if it can helped," Crow shook his head. "However I think that we're going to need to make a decision soon, because that thing seems to be doing something." Everyone looked at the giant mass… no it was shrinking? It was getting smaller.

"Warning, the Defense Program has made an unknown connection with an unidentifiable source," Reinforce suddenly alerted everyone.

"Connection? With what?" Arf asked. "What's there to connect?" Everyone looked to towards the tome but received silence. The silence then continued, as if not heeding Arf's question.

"Anything more substantial than that?" Joker asked when he lost patience, hoping for something more, because the dark mass was continuing to shrink.

"Preliminary analysis of the connection shows that it is connecting a space similar to the one created by the Meta Barrier spell," Reinforce finally elaborated at Joker's request.

"Like the Meta Barrier? Is this Meta Barrier something like the Metaverse?" Yoshizawa asked, doing her best to keep up but still being hopelessly lost.

"Kind of. If it's connecting to the Metaverse… but what would it connect to there?" Mona tried to think of what it could connect to but came up blank.

"Metaverse?" Shamal asked for Hayate and the rest of the Knights. The term was also only vaguely familiar for the TSAB aligned in the group.

"Just think of it as a place where Joker and I can make full use of our abilities. We don't have the luxury for lecture at the moment," Crow resigned himself to explain.

"Everyone!" Amy's voice cut through the air over the comms. "We're detecting a change in the mass of energy. What… what is this? I've never seen anything like it. Woah!" Blaring sounds could be heard through the comms, most likely echoing throughout the Arthra.

"What's happening?" Now it was Lindy's voice.

"Ma'am, even though the black mass of magic is continuing to shrink, a different energy is beginning to take its place at an alarming rate. It's overloading the sensors!" A different crewman explained.

"Look, it's almost disappeared!" Fate pointed to what remained of the mass as it shrank into but a small speck comparatively. Everyone watched with full attention as the last of the darkness receded.

As it began to shrink ever smaller, the sphere's form began to warp. Its rounded outer shell began to become more angular, degree by degree. A definite shape was beginning to make itself known. It became more and more defined as the darkness continued to shrink. Once it had become the size of a person, it had become something almost rectangular, like a rounded door. Then its edges sharped as it shrank even smaller. Indentations formed on its sides save for one, and it had become shaped… like a book.

Then the world seemed to become still, save for the Arthra's warning signal that continued to sound over the comms. The crackling and force from the dark magic had finally become still, though the book shaped thing continued to be draped in darkness. However that darkness that once looked like a coagulated mass seemed to dry. It had become almost like dried paint.

In the next moment, a crack could be heard. Then another. Then another. Then another. Cracks could not only be heard, but they could also be seen on the book. The darkness flaked away without pattern, and in doing so, revealed a shining white book underneath. Almost blindingly bright, if it weren't for the distance the group was already at, they would have had to shield their eyes. What had become of the Defense Program?

"That… that looks like the Tome-"

"CONNECTION ESTABLISHED WITH MEMENTOS…" Hayate's thought was interrupted as a voice boomed through the air from the other book. Four pairs of eyes widened as far as they could at the phrase, while confusion spread through the rest.

"Connection with Mementos!?" Mona yelled, completely taken aback.

"That's… that's bad right?" Yoshizawa tried to remember Joker and Mona's explanation, but even unable to recall it proper in her panic, she knew how terrible such a thing probably was.

"The hell?" was the only thing Crow let out, but even so the look had could kill a person were it directed elsewhere.

"Joker, what's going on?" Nanoha asked, only to be met with a shake of the head.

"I don't know." Joker scrutinized every detail of the shining white book. It's color and aura felt familiar… but he couldn't place what it was. However every mental step closer compounded the dread he felt into a heavy weight upon him.

"I… I… I…" The heard from the shining white book. "I SHALL ASCEND." Before they could gleam what meaning that phrase had, the book spoke once more. "META BARRIER GENOCIDE SHIFT."

Joker didn't have time to say anything. The sky that was once black with storm started to brighten. However the lighter shade provided no solace as the world became dyed in familiar red. With that, Joker's memories came flooding back in a horrid case of déjà vu.

"Huh?" Something small and cold hit the top of Hayate's head. Reaching at it, she realized that it was water… No. It wasn't water. It was too red to be water.

"Woah!" Now it was Nanoha's turn to cry out as she was pelted by the red rain.

"Is this, blood?" Signum asked as more and more continued to fall. The woman tried to retain her composure, but the ever-horrifying sight was beginning to claw at her will bit by bit.

"What the hell are those things!?" Arf's outburst directed everyone towards the strange, boney, structures that reached and stretched across the sky.

"It's just like that day one year ago…" Mona muttered, still in disbelief in the events unfolding.

"This has happened before?" Yuuno asked, trying to make sense of the situation but coming up short. Nothing in all his experience resembled any of this. Nothing of his knowledge from all over the TSAB could explain what was going on.

"Everyone, do you read me?" Amy asked over comms, however the connection had become rife with static.

"Amy, is everything alright?" Chrono responded first.

"We're fine, but something has completely distorted dimensional space down there," Amy told them. "I've never seen readings like this before. The Defense Program's signature has completely changed too."

"It's only thanks to Precia's hardware that we've been able to even get a reading at all. Our equipment that hasn't been made by her isn't picking anything up." Lindy added, before another voice jumped in.

"Chrono are you okay?" Aria asked from aboard the Arthra.

"Please tell us you're alright," Lotte quickly followed.

"What's the situation down there?" Graham was last to chime in. The group looked amongst themselves, unsure of how to respond. Crow was the only one who didn't seem confused, and nudged Joker.

"That white book is using an out-of-control version of a spell of mine to merge reality with the Metaverse. I won't go into what that means, but suffice to say we need to stop it," Joker explained.

"It's moving!" Joker looked over thanks to Yoshizawa's remark to find that the book was moving, quite quickly in fact, having already reached shore and heading towards the center of the city.

"Everyone after it!" Signum commanded, to which everyone complied, giving chase as soon as they could. Once they arrived on shore however, a black, inky mass rose from the ground in front of them, stopping them in their tracks. Coalescing into a repugnant mess. Its only defined feature was a simple white mask that sat on what seemed to be a random clump on the blob. However it wasn't the only one. Another rose up in much the same way, forming in an equally messy clump. And then another. And then another. And then another. And then another. And then another.

"Shadows…" Mona called them, giving a name to the creatures for the side of their group without knowledge.

Joker lost count. Shadow after Shadow manifested themselves before the group. Each one, causing another member to tense up. Eventually, none of them could make out if another one had formed, as the streets were now completely clogged in the darkness, with some even sporting wings to equally congest the sky.

"It's an army…" Yoshizawa said, her gun trembling as she held it up to aim… anywhere. Anywhere she did, she was sure to hit something, but whether or not to do so, she just couldn't answer.

"They seem strong…" Zafira noted, feeling something unnatural from the creatures, but certainly not weakness.

"Any chance for reinforcements?" Crow asked, seeing their situation as dire.

"I'm trying to get a hold of our agents that were on the ground, but I'm not having any luck," Amy relayed over comms. "Because of that I don't know if I can send others to help without them getting lost as well."

"So we're on our own…" Chrono felt his expression harden.

"Well what do we do!? It's getting away!" Vita did her best to hold back from jumping in, but even she knew the odds were grim beyond the pale.

Joker cursed inwardly. It was an army, but it wasn't impossible. As Zafira said, they were strong, but only so much. The real danger was numbers. Their current strength only needed a bit more to be able to match it. However, them appearing now of all times would be a miracle. Joker took a deep breath. There was no sense in wishing for the impossible. They'd just have to-

"MAKE WAY! CRAZY DRIVER!" Was that Ryuji?

From out of the blue, a van crashed onto the scene from the side, slamming into shadow after shadow, plowing them out of the way at insane speed. Not only was its speed deranged, so was its path. It curved and swerved in an unpredictable fashion. Its only consistent pattern was that it seemed to be getting closer. As it approached, Joker finally caught himself.

"Everyone!" He didn't need to say anything else, as they all scattered at his call. Either flying or jumping out of the way, they only just made it as the van screeched into a drift, spinning wildly as it closed the last hundred meters towards them. It spun and spun. Screams could be heard from within now that it was so close, and alongside what seemed to be a manic, girlish laughter. As its velocity dropped, the last of the van's momentum caused one side to lift, almost threatening to fall on its side. However a large bang against metal resounded out, forcing the van back onto the ground, all momentum finally coming to a halt.

Not a moment after the van stopped, a number of bodies flopped out onto the pavement.

"GROUND! SWEET GROUND!" Skull said under tears.

"Never… again…" Panther heaved heavy breaths, her voice coarse and cracked.

"Game over… I quit… don't bother reviving me…" Oracle looked about ready to puke.

"A vision… a vision of hell most foul, but also a light most beautiful. Mother… was that you?" Fox seemed… not all there.

"See, we made it in time! What did I tell you?" Noir hopped out with a cheer in her step.

"Noir… next time, let me drive…" Queen followed, the least exhausted, but only by the smallest amount. "Joker!" Queen revived as soon as she saw their leader. When she called his name the others also seemed to revive from their weary state.

Joker felt himself break into the biggest grin he'd had in a long while. "Guys, you're here!" And so was their chance to make it through.


Author's Note:

Life does things. I've actually gotten a recent career change, so this got delayed by a week or two as a result. Well that, and I had to 100% NEO TWEWY. Such a great sequel. Anyways, here's where we start seeing more effects of Joker's meddling, making things worse. I'm so happy we're finally here and I get to write these parts I've planned for so long. I hope you're enjoying it as much as I'm having fun writing it.

Anyways, those of you with an astute mind for patterns might have already figured out the name for the shining white book. Honestly, it's quite a coincidence it worked out like that, but it's still quite fitting. When it worked out like that, I had to take it. But yeah, so that first section in the previous chapter was actually the Defense Program trying to connect to the Metaverse. Why it tried I'll elaborate in the next chapter.

I've also continued to drop hints about something else. It's going to be part of a big thing I have planned just a bit down the road, but I'm making the foundation for it here. If any of you call it, I'll be impressed, but I won't acknowledge. I'll just say, I hope you'll find it just as cool as I do when I finally get it pay off.

Also, Akechi is here, and actually able to help out with the Christmas Crises this time. I've got a bit planned for him, so keep an eye out there.

As usual, I hope you enjoyed yourselves, and have a great rest of your day. Take care…

PS. Can't wait for SMTV, it's looking so good.